Brigham Young Cougars

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"He is struggling to keep the weight off, so it just makes sense to let him eat freely, get big and play linebacker," said HC Kalani Sitake. Hadley appeared in all 13 of BYU's games last season while recording 24 tackles. He'll provide linebacking depth for a Cougars team that needs it now that sophomore LB Francis Bernard will be taking a redshirt due to personal reasons for the coming season.

Bernard (6'0/235) is taking the redshirt due to a personal matter, but there is no further detail as to what that matter might be. His loss figures to be a difficult one to paper over -- Bernard registered 79 tackles (5.5 for loss) and three interceptions in 12 games last season. Matt Hadley has been moved from safety to linebacker to help shore up the position group.

Vaka (6'5/275) was a three-star recruit out of the JUCO ranks during the past cycle. BYU HC Kalani Sitake has a number of options, here, indicating that Vaka could be used on either the offensive line or the defensive line, with that still to be determined. A redshirt is also possible.

BYU freshman TE Matt Bushman caught four passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns during a spring scrimmage.

"I’ve said it before that Matt Bushman is a special player. He’s big and he’s smooth. He can do a lot of things," said HC Kalani Sitaki. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder is in a position to contribute immediately as a true freshman, with Rotoworld's Thor Nystrom ranking him as the No. 19 fantasy tight end for the 2017 CFB season.

ESPN has exercised an option to extend their contract to broadcast BYU home games through the 2019 season.

The Worldwide Leader signed an eight-year broadcasting contract with BYU when the Cougars went independent in 2011. The exercising of the option in the contract ensures that the deal will play out to its conclusion. In a statement, BYU AD Tom Holmoe said, "ESPN has helped us along the way. They put us on TV every week. It's something really special, and I'm glad we're staying with them."

Fiatoa (6'3/220) has been committed to BYU for over a year. For the time being, the linebacker has no plans of budging off that pledge, but his junior year at Orem High School (Utah) could bring him a wave of new interest. That is because Fiatoa missed the entirety of the 2016 season to injury, limiting his recruitment by degrees. With over a year remaining before Fiatoa could first sign with a team, BYU probably should not be considered a stone-cold lock, even with their standing right now.

2015 four star LB recruit Christian Folau committed to BYU after the completion of his LDS mission.

Folau previously committed to Oregon State prior to working with the church and did not post on social media during that time. He returned recently and announced his intention to play for BYU. He was considered one of the top recruits at his position in the country. Folau is almost 21 years old.

Hoge was named scout team player of the year in 2015, but did not earn enough playing time in 2016 while playing behind Sam Mustipher. Hoge was viewed by a few recruiting services as the No. 1 center in the country out of high school. He will need to sit out the 2017 season.

BYU HC Kalani Sitake said that junior QB Tanner Mangum has "taken this team and this offense especially as part of his deal."

Sitake admitted that last season's dynamic between aged starter Taysom Hill and 2015 breakout-star-turned-backup Mangum was "kind of a weird dynamic," but he has been impressed with Mangum's work this offseason in taking over starting duties. Said Sitake, "He is definitely on his way toward having a great year in my mind. I think he’s got all the intangibles ,and it’s just a matter of him getting out there and having the opportunity." After taking over for the injured Hill in the 2015 season-opener, Mangum went on to throw for 3,377 yards with a 23/10 TD/INT ratio.

BYU redshirt junior RB Trey Dye said that he has put on about 10 pounds this offseason.

"I changed my diet up a little bit because I don't think you'll be running the ball very successfully when you are 173 pounds. I gained about 10 pounds, so I'm just feeling good and having fun with it," Dye said. While he has yet to find significant success with the Cougars, the team likes what they saw out of him during spring practice. Squally Canada is expected to start for the departed Jamaal Williams during the coming season, with Dye and KJ Hall splitting backup carries.

BYU junior C Jacob Jimenez is expected to miss the 2017 season due to a torn ACL.

"Just a freak, non-contact deal," said OC Ty Detmer. The injury occurred while Jimenez was running down the field to celebrate a play in spring scrimmage. As the 6-foot-5, 290-pounder has not yet had his redshirt burned, he will likely be taking that this year and will have two years' eligibility remaining in 2018. He had been working as a backup center to Tejan Koroma.

BYU offensive coordinator Ty Detmer said he'll employ a running back by committee this fall.

The task of replacing all-time leading rusher Jamaal Williams will be a joint effort by a rag-tag crew. The four men most likely to garner backfield snaps this fall are former Washington State transfer Squally Canada, walk-on KJ Hall, converted linebacker Kavika Fonua and returned missionary Ula Tolutau.

With Tanner Mangum already firmly entrenched as starting quarterback for the Cougars heading into the 2017 season, Kafentzis was kicking around a potential position switch --
an idea which HC Kalani Sitaki dismissed. He would like to see what Kafentzis might offer as a passer first. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has bounced about during his college career, starting out with Wisconsin as a three-star recruit for the 2015 cycle, then moving on to Nevada in the summer of 2015, then dropping down to a junior college for the 2016 season. He will be eligible to play immediately in 2017 thanks to the JUCO bounce.

Langi (6’2/251) was one of college football’s most versatile players, seeing time at tailback, multiple linebacker positions, and defensive end. Across 12 senior-year starts, Langi posted five tackles for loss and two sacks, in addition to two rushing scores. Langi tested as a passable 48th-percentile athlete before the draft, running 4.66 at the Cougars’ Pro Day. As Langi bounced from Utah to BYU and went on a Mormon mission, he will turn 25 in September and is several years older than a typical rookie. Still, Langi profiles as a core special teamer and is versatile enough to contribute in multiple ways on defense.

Williams (6’0/212) led the Cougars in rushing all four years, compiling a career 726/3,901/35 (5.4 YPC) rushing line with 60/567/1 (9.5 YPR) receiving. Williams appeared in only 17 games over his final two seasons due to knee and ankle injuries and a suspension for violating multiple team rules. His catch totals also dropped every year at BYU (27 > 18 > 8 > 7). Williams was exposed as a sub-par athlete at the Combine with eight-percentile SPARQ results and a plodding 7.25 three-cone time. A decisive, downhill grinder on college tape, Williams is a two-down back with a ceiling in the Alfred Morris range. That said, he could find himself with a big rookie role behind Ty Montgomery.